Page 18 - Agric Info Mag 01 2017

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The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States dressed by any single member state by
(OECS) Fourth Council of Ministers of Agriculture itself or by individual producers or ex-
th
was convened Tuesday July 25 2017 at the Na- porters acting independently of each
tional Insurance Services Conference Room in other.”
Kingstown.
This Fourth Council of Ministers of Agricul-
ture is yet another step in establishing the

Agri-Export Strategy Initiative of the Minis-
try of Agriculture of St. Vincent and the
Grenadines. This Initiative entails trade
among the islands of the sub-region being
facilitated through a maritime transporta-

tion system. Hence the OECS Production,
L-R Ashley Cain - Chief Agricultural Officer, Hon Saboto Marketing and Shipping Initiative:
Caeser - Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Ru-
ral Transformation , Dr. Didicus Jules - OECS director gen-
eral and Raymond Ryan - Permanent Secretary , Ministry of “Thus far the OECS Commission has
Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Rural Transformation at secured the partnership, service and
the opening ceremony - NIS Conference Room, Kingstown commitment of two vessels that have

commenced the movement of fresh
Member states were urged by SVG’s Minister of produce from the countries to as far
Agriculture Hon Saboto Caesar to begin to put the south as Trinidad and Tobago and as
necessary structures in place to lower the region’s far north as St. Thomas. The initiative
food import bill which is estimated to be US 6.5 has generated interest from external
billion dollars.
OECS Director General Dr. Didicus Jules in ad- markets such as the UK, Canada and
dressing the gathering at the opening ceremony the US and shipments have been made
cautioned that initiatives at the national and re- to Canada and the US using Amerijet”
gional levels are not sufficient. These initiatives Minister of Agriculture Hon Saboto Caesar
have included training and certification in Good in his feature address gave a brief history
Agricultural Practices, upgrading of technical skills of Agriculture in the region in the context
in pest risk analysis and the establishment of units of colonialism and the slave trade. The
in plant health laboratories in several OECS mem- Minister further chronicled the growth of
ber states: the sector in the region to the point of in-
dependent ownership of land and the em-
“Initiatives at the national and regional levels
such as the aforementioned are not sufficient powerment of a once subject people in the
to reposition the sector to more meaningfully wealth of the land.
contribute to growth and equitable distribution
of economic gain. To do so we need to over-
come the challenges of expanding production
to meet regional food security needs as well as
the requirements of regional and international
trade. These issues cannot be successfully ad-